Reduce stress with the keto diet to lose weight


In the 1990s, researchers discovered that the "stress hormone" cortisol triggers excessive stores of abdominal fat in both men and women. These results showed, for the first time, that cortisol secretion was associated with both chronic stress and an increase in "belly fat." Stress has long been known to trigger the desire to eat more, exacerbating weight gain by increasing caloric intake.

 A new study has identified another chain reaction triggered by chronic stress that slows fat metabolism and makes weight loss difficult. Researchers discovered that chronic stress stimulates the production of a peptide hormone called betatrophin, which inhibits an enzyme necessary for fat metabolism.

In this study, experiments were performed with cells derived from mice and humans to establish the role of betatrophin in regulating body fat.

The mice that experienced metabolic stress produced significantly more betatrophin, and their normal fat-burning processes were significantly reduced.

Basically, stress causes more fat to accumulate or at least slows down the metabolism of fat. This is another reason why it is better to resolve stressful situations and seek a balanced life.

Additionally, in 2018, a team of researchers discovered that body fat can send signals that affect how the brain handles both stress and metabolism. The feedback loop between body fat and stress is a two-way street that can create a vicious cycle.

Stress causes the desire to eat more, which can lead to obesity. And too much body fat can impair the body's ability to send a signal to the brain to turn off the stress response. The findings are important and unique because they show that it is not simply the brain that manages the way the body responds to stress.

The researchers also found a unique connection between glucocorticoid signaling in fat tissue and the brain's regulation of energy balance and the response to stress. Understanding fat signaling to the brain is the first step to one day being able to influence the broad and complex relationship between stress, obesity, and fat metabolism.

In conclusion, there seems to be a triple whammy at play that makes it difficult for chronically stressed people to lose weight. First, stress creates the desire to eat more. Second, stress triggers the release of hormones like cortisol and betatrophin, which increase belly fat and slow down metabolism, respectively. Third, fat signaling to the brain appears to increase stress levels as part of a feedback loop that consolidates this vicious cycle. ​Adelaide Naturopath and Keto Coach Christina Ettore at Renew Health specialize in healthy weight loss for life! Her flexible approach combined with many years of experience will provide you with safe, effective weight loss solutions even if you have struggled to lose weight in the past.

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